Expression of a single-chain monellin (MNEI) mutant with enhanced stability in transgenic mice milk

Monellin is a sweet protein that may be used as a safe and healthy sweetener. However, due to its low stability, the application of monellin is currently very limited. Here, we describe a wild-type, a double-sites mutant (E2N/E23A) and a triple-sites mutant (N14A/E23Q/S76Y) of single-chain monellin (MNEI) expressed in transgenic mice milk. Based on enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), Western blot, and sweetness intensity testing, their sweetness and stability were compared. After boiling for 2 min at different pH conditions (2.5, 5.1, 6.8, and 8.2), N14A/E23Q/S76Y-MNEI showed significantly higher sweetness and stability than the wild-type and E2N/E23A-MNEI. These results suggest that N14A/E23Q/S76Y-MNEI shows remarkable potential as a sweetener in the future.